If I Were You

 by Lynn Austin

Scott County Library paperback 430 pages

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Published: 2020

Set in England during WWII, wealthy Audrey Clarkson and serving girl Eve Dawson develop an unlikely friendship. Alternating between "current day" 1950 in America and their past in the early 1940s, I definitely preferred the earlier era in their lives. The book was enjoyable, but not one of my favorites by Austin. Book club discussion was excellent!

Page 28 - "Granny kept house, cooked Eve's meals, darned her socks, mended her clothes, took Eve to church, and made sure the cottage was warm all winter long. Granny told Eve how much she loved her every day of her life." 

I loved Granny Maud! That's the character I most want to be like.

Page 70 - "Eve remembered a snippet of the psalm Granny Maud had taught her - 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want' - and she smiled at this reminder of the Good Shepherd's care. She wasn't alone after all."

There were many, many references to shepherds and sheep. It was a nice thematic thread running through the story. (But perhaps a little bit cheesy toward the end . . . with Tom and the lost lamb. Still, I love cheese!)

Page 156 - I love that Audrey wonders how to comfort someone and remembers back to Eve offering her some strawberries. Acts of kindness make a difference! (It also makes me think of Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory offering tea.)

Page 184 / 5 - "Eve had never known such terror. She was going to die, and she didn't want to. She wanted to live, get married, have children, grow old. She closed her eyes as she hunched in place, silently pleading with God to spare her life." 

I can't imagine what it felt like to cower in a shelter during the Blitz, but Austin writes of the experience very convincingly!

Page 191 - "Pray about it. Please, love. I know you're angry with God, but talk to Him. This isn't a good time to walk away from Him."

Words of wisdom from her mother, but Eve's anger and loss is so very deep.

Page 217 - "She was still thinking about her daddy as the train chugged into Victoria Station in London, and mourning the loss of his photograph in the rubble of the town house. Granny Maud's picture of the Good Shepherd had also been destroyed along wiht any faith Eve might have had in Him."

This made me so sad! I totally understand how this character (and real people in real life) can get discouraged and give up on God, but that's when they need Him most of all!

Page 255 - "Because the pull of family is even stronger than the force of gravity . . ."

I like how she worded this.

Page 256 - "After I enlisted, the Army was passing out Bibles to anyone who wanted one, so I took it, even though religion has been little more than a formality for most of my life. Inside the cover was a letter from President Roosevelt. I'll have to show it to you sometime. He recommended that everyone in the armed services read the Bible, said it has offered wisdom and strength and inspiration to people throughout the ages. I've been reading it ever since."

When Robert says this to Audrey, my research bring pinged. Is this true or fiction? So cool! Read more here: www.museumofthebible.org/book/minutes/275

 

Page 400 - "That was the destructive power of sin and lies - they harmed the innocent along with the guilty." 

'Nuff said.

Page 410 - "I told him he should confess to God but not to Jean. God would forgive him, but Jean might never get over his betrayal. I don't think it's right to unburden your own heart by laying the load on someone else's. Some secrets are better left untold."

Wow! We had a LOT of discussion on this one . . . I'm usually in favor of "honesty is the best policy" but confessing an infidelity can cause more pain and suspicion. Getting something off your own guilty conscience can end up burdening someone else. Others were convinced that keeping this secret from his wife was almost worse than committing adultery in the first place. This is what I love about book club - the discussion, the give and take of ideas and perspectives. It was a great conversation.

Page 427 - "If you have confessed your sins and laid them at Jesus' feet and asked for forgiveness, then it is done. Finished. You are a new woman in Christ. The old is gone. It's as if you've swapped places with Jesus, and God sees His righteousness whenever He looks at you. You get to start all over again, and you don't need to feel ashamed anymore."

Mrs. Vandenberg is so lovely! Wouldn't it be great if all Christians believed and acted in accordance with what Scripture says? (I'm including myself in that!)

The Heart of Barkness

A Chet & Bernie Mystery 

By Spencer Quinn

Carver County Library audiobook 8 CDs

read by  Jim Frangione

Oh my! I love these books! And what a delightful relief after Catch-22 . . . this mystery told from the dog's point of view was an enjoyable tale. I've only listened to two of these, so I don't know if I would like it as well in print. The narrator does a wonderful job.

 

I laughed when the very thought of peeing made Chet need to pee. 

Country music, high school power trips, power and control, family estrangement and reconciliation . . .

 

Lottie Pilgrim was a more complex character than I realized at first. I did guess the "bad guy" pretty early on, though. 

 

Small local newspaper having no reporters and relying instead on AI . . . sad thought and certainly becoming a reality.

 

"The Nation Within" - I love that these stories are told from Chet's doggy point of view! I got book one from the library so Louie can enjoy them. I'll do a "re-read" of course. It's been a long time since I experienced the first book in this series. This one is apparently #9 of 11.  Now I'll "read" them all in order!

Murder, Mayhem & a Fine Man

By Claudia Mair Burney

Hennepin County Library paperback 291 pages

Published: 2008

"An Amanda Bell Brown Mystery"

Genre: Christian mystery, romance

 

This book was recommended to me, but I'm not sure from whom/where! I'm trying to be more careful about that because it's interesting to connect the source with the outcome. The title alone makes it intriguing. I don't know if I'll read her second book, but again she did a great job with the title: Death, Deceit & Some Smooth Jazz.

 

I read this quickly and have a mixed reaction to it. It was such a contrast to have flirty, fast attraction happening along with such a serious story behind it. Bell and Jazz are clearly drawn to one another and their flirting / bickering were kind of irritating to me as a reader. That push/pull tension can be fun and I'm sure other readers appreciate it, though.

The cult leaders and psychology of control was creepy but believable. What wasn't believable is that the protagonist chose to pursue a bad guy *by herself* and didn't bother to have a charged cell phone with her. Ugh!

Black life perspective, past pain and sin, loss, abuse, infidelity, . . . there was a lot to think about in this book. But layered over the seriousness was a quick romance and some humor.

I absolutely loved his mom and dad! The scene in the park and then at their home was my favorite part. And her great grandma's wisdom and impact were quite the legacy. I also appreciated that this was written from a Christian perspective. 

Page 93 - This part made me laugh out loud. Bell was watching a televangelist.

 

"The woman spoke with a strong Southern drawl. For a moment I wondered if a special seminary somewhere way down South manufactured televangelists. With few exceptions, they all seemed to be Southern. Sistah Reverend must have gotten a sudden surge of divine energy. She started blinking madly and waving her gnarled hands wildly in the air, spitting out a chant like she had some kind of Christian Tourette's syndrome: 'Cheeses. Cheeses. Cheeses.' Make that dairy Tourette's syndrome. Then she started coughing. No, wait. My mind clicked. She's said 'Jesus,' only it sounded like 'cheeses' the way she kind of wheezed it. She pointed to the camera so that to viewers it looked as if she were pointing at them. 'You need cheeses in your life.' I had missed dinner. A grilled cheese sandwich sounded good . . . "

Page 161 - "I should have waited. There are worse things than being a thirty-five-year-old virgin. There are babies born too early who fit in the palm of your hand. There are broken places and fissures in your soul that never heal. There is no wedding quilt to inherit that your great-grandmother and namesake made for you when you were born - back when everyone had the highest hopes for you. There is the ache of knowing that even if you did find yourself blessed enough to get something as incredible as a Marriage Wish necklace, like the prodigal, once you squandered your fortune you ate with the pigs. And you will never forget it."

Except God's grace, mercy, and love can pour out the forgiveness and healing you need! This was such a poignant scene in the book (when she visits with Jazz's parents).

Page 288 - "The soft but determined voice of my great-grandmother rose up in my soul. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, baby. How many times had Ma Brown taught me this lesson when she spoke of unspeakable horrors our people endured, and the special grace God gave us to move on with dignity? How many times had God taught me this lesson? 

I could keep typing out the rest of this scene. It's good. I love how real these struggles are and how God's grace shines through. The murder mystery was important, obviously (and I didn't guess the actual killer until the end part) but the characters really drive this story.

The Whistling Season

by Ivan Doig

paperback from Amy Erickson 345 pages

Published: 2006

Genre: historical fiction

This has been sitting on my shelf for about four years and I'm glad I finally picked it up! I loved this story and its celebration of learning in a one-room schoolhouse in 1909 Montana. Paul Milliron is a delightful protagonist. His younger brothers and widowed father are in need of a housekeeper, but they get so much more than that when Rose Llewellyn and her brother show up. Halley's Comet, Paul's nightmares, Latin, horse races, farming, boxing, . . . the book drew me in and made me care about what happened to these people.

Page 18 - "A Nile of vein stood out on her frail temple as she worked herself up. What was behind such ardor? Rage of age? Life's revenge on the young? Or simply Aunt Eunice's natural vinegar pickling her soul?"

Please, Lord, don't let me grow up to be an Aunt Eunice. She was so negative and she seemed to strive to make everyone else as unhappy as she was! (Except sweet little Toby, of course!)

Page 40 - "My books already threatened to take over my part of the room and keep on going. Mother's old ones, subscription sets Father had not been able to resist, coverless winnowings from the schoolhouse shelf - whatever cargoes of words I could lay my hands on I gave safe harbor."

I love that language and that love of books!

Page 143 - "Having been around Morrie at his most systematic during our wood-sawing sessions, I knew perfectly well he was scraping through here in the schoolhouse much of the time on nerve and desperation, thumbing into things mere moments ahead of administering the next lesson to some bunch or another in the relentless stairstep system of eight grades in one room."

I can only imagine the challenge of teaching in a one-room schoolhouse . . . and shudder. Talk about multi-tasking! What a herculean challenge.

Page 263 - "I could not get rid of the thought that a kind of blindness had been put on Eddie Turley, and where did that fit in the beautiful workings of the universe?"

I loved that even as the schoolkids were planning their big Halley's comet event, Paul thought about Eddie (who he didn't get along with very well) and how Mr. Turley's insistence that Eddie leave school and go trapping with him . . . meant that Eddie was missing out.

Page 280 - "We filed to our seats for the afternoon with rare lack of conversation. Standard tests were relatively new in the educational scheme of things then, and those of us on the receiving end were not sure what we were in for."

Ugh. Standardized tests. And know they're big dollar and high stakes. 

Page 293 - "How distant and distinct it all is, that comet of nearly half a century ago and Morrie's triumph along with it. And how tear-streaked, today, under the scimitar of Sputnik. My eyes well up and there is nothing I can do about it. At my age now, tears should be saved for times of mortality. For the passing of loved ones and constant friends. For any whose life touched a tender spot in my own."

At times, the author's shift from 1909 to "modern day" 1960s was disconcerting. But adult Paul has such a different voice from the adolescent that it isn't really an issue. The reflectiveness that comes with age . . . 

Page 303 - "A lot more whistling." (Spoiler alert!)***

When their Father announces that he plans to marry Rose, the boys are silent. When Paul made this comment about how having Rose there would be different from when their mother was alive, he broke the ice. Rose whistled while she did housework. The title of the book. Yes. It all fits nicely.

Page 344 - "Even when it stands vacant the past is never empty."

As the adult revisits his childhood locales, his memories keep him company AND they inform his decisions. I loved this book and am eager to share it with Jodi!

Catch-22

by Joseph Heller

paperback 462 pages (not sure where I got it . . . )

Audiobook from Scott County Library 16CDs

Read by Jay O. Sanders

Published: 1955

genre: realistic fiction (historical now - WWII)

Although I despised this book, I forced myself to finish it. Here's what I appreciate about it:

1. It's considered a "classic" work of literature (how something is designated as such is a different discussion) and I try to read at least one each year. Done for 2020.

2. I already understood the gist of "Catch-22" as a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario, but reading the book gave me a deeper understanding of the term. (see passage below)

3. Heller uses language in ways that are not common in much of what I read and I appreciate some of the ways he expresses things. (e.g. in one part, he uses "Saturnalia" and "obstreperous" in the same sentence! I love that.)

Reading about the novel on Wikipedia (after writing the rest of this) helps me understand it a little better, but I definitely don't like it. Also won't read the sequel!

Catch-22:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I  was probably an unsafe driver as I jotted the notes below. I won't provide context or commentary beyond my scraps of paper:

• craziness / nonsensical comments and questions (e.g. "flies in your eyes")
• Doc Daneeka - whiner!
• ugliness of war
• censoring mail recklessly / swearing / Lord's name in vain . . .
• repetition / lots of characters
• ridiculousness . . . a commentary on war?
• abuse of authority / power trips
• Major Major's dad / farmer paid to NOT grow alfalfa
• CID man telling a bunch of guys they're the only one being told he's a CID man
• Washington Irving
• Major Major Major - so sad!
• Loyalty oaths / meanness / exclusion
• Major Mmhm(?) de Coverly - (I had to look in the book. It only had a blank line for the major's first name. The reader read it like "Mmmhmm" . . . )
• What year was this written? What about the Greatest Generation? These guys are awful! What kind of reception did the book get? I will do a little online digging after I finish reading it.
• Yossarian "falls in love" with a LOT of different people! And very easily . . . 
• WHY did Yossarian keep telling McWatt to dive and go back after they had a successful bomb run? Contrary to self-preservation . . . 
• prostitutes in Rome
• non-linear timeline . . . 
• repetition in paragraphs and in stories. Soldier in white in hospital . . . almost the exact same language used. Purpose?
• Anti-God rant. Sad.
• Chaplain - ugh! I hate this book.
• Whitcomb is awful. Chaplain is too weak. Grow a pair! Stand up to him! You're the superior officer.
• dysfunction. evil. self-centeredness. cruelty.
• Milo and his syndicate. Mayor of Palermo. Milo Minderbinder.
• Aarfy bragging about his fraternity gang raping . . . 
• Chaplain's assistant is a surly atheist. Really? You can't request someone else?
• Bordello / naked girls
• How many languages do typical Italians know?
• profiteering / greed
• Milo bombing his own troops (to make more money)
• why would other men agree to this?
• DOUBLESPEAK! Milo is amoral.
• Whitcomb's disrespect, rudeness, and general awfulness . . . ugh.
• I look forward to reading about Catch-22 and context!
• Smack his face! 
• I despise this book.
• Cathcart so obsequious to General Dreedle.
• Extreme misogeny
• "The trouble with you is . . . " used by too many characters to find fault in others!
• swearing / foul
• Doc Daneeka's "death" - ridiculous
• four new 21 year old officers in Yossarian's tent . . . at 28, he's an old veteran.
• Prostitutes . . . abuse. Disgusting, cruel, inhumane, sad.
• I'm just enduring this book . . . CD 13 / 16 . . . 
• Italian - I don't speak or understand it except when it's close to English . . . "idiota" and "Stupido" made sense.
• Nately's whore - his ideals. 
• I love that Heller used the word "transmogrified" in 1955!!! It made me think of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons.
• Wisconsin shingles . . . the chaplain excited that he'd told a lie . . . vice becomes virtue as he rationalizes his choices. 
• No character
• Chapter 35(?) - Yossarian prayed! . . . to Nately.
• Milo selling to Germans . . . 
• I despise Milo, his greed, his selfishness, . . . 
• Yossarian should have flown with Orr! Orr went down and got free . . . with a giggle, I'm sure. 
• Colonel Scheisskopf - no parades. Whining. Pathetic.
• General Peckem - karma when Scheisskopf is promoted . . .
  
• discouraging - lack of concern for life, humanity, doing what's morally right . . . 
• lying, lying, lying
• ego. Greed. selfishness.
• Kid Sampson's death - gruesome. McGann's suicide. This book is bleak!
• context? 
• Chaplain - handwriting. Falsely accused. Not allowed to defend himself. As a reader, I'm frustrated and angry! Heller's intent?
• Eternal City chapter - soldiers pushed girls out into the streets because of "Catch-22" but Yossarian says Catch-22 doesn't even exist.
• prostitution in Rome - not a new issue. This book made me think of the missionaries who spoke at church and asked us to pray for the sexual sin to end.
• Man beating crying dog with a stick while a crowd watches . . . horrors. Comparison to Christ - why? Innocence suffering? Man beating child a few streets over. Crowd watching. Deja vu.
• Yossarian's helplessness and horror.
• Aarfy raped a maid, held her hostage two hours past curfew, then threw her out the window and killed her. And then he rationalized it. Yossarian's anger and shock at him. Then Yossarian is arrested for being in Rome without a pass and the MPs apologize to Aarfy for disturbing him . . . man's inhumanity.

From Wikipedia:

"Catch-22 is a satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953; the novel was first published in 1961. Often cited as one of the most significant novels of the twentieth century,^[2] it uses a distinctive non-chronological third-person omniscient narration, describing events from the points of view of different characters. The separate storylines are out of sequence so the timeline develops along with the plot.

The novel is set during World War II, from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of antihero Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th US Army Air Squadron is based on the island of Pianosa, in the Mediterranean Sea west of Italy, though it also covers episodes from basic training at Lowry Field in Colorado and Air Corps training at Santa Ana Army Air Base in California. The novel examines the absurdity of war and military life through the experiences of Yossarian and his cohorts, who attempt to maintain their sanity while fulfilling their service requirements so that they may return home.

The book was made into a film adaptation in 1970, directed by Mike Nichols. In 1994, Heller published a sequel to the 1961 novel entitled Closing Time."

 

Yossarian as an "anti-hero" is an interesting designation. Satirical, but not at all funny. Makes me wonder at some of the blurbs promoting the print book: